Mustard Seed Project is in support of Bill AB717. This bill requires the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to ensure all inmates released from state prison are released with a valid California ID or Driver’s license. This requirement would be HUGE for those leaving incarceration seeing as ID is required for nearly every aspect of life – from accessing social services and medical care, to being able to get a job. In the last six months of 2019, 71% of people leaving did not have a California ID, making reentry into society that much more difficult (Find out more with our Prison to Homelessness Pipeline Community Forum). Although there is a lot that needs to be done to address all of the barriers formerly incarcerated individuals face, Bill AB717 would be a large and impactful step in the right direction.

Included below is Mustard Seed Project’s letter of support for the bill to the California Assembly Appropriations Committee. We encourage everyone to learn more about the bill here and follow its progress as it moves forward through the legislative process.